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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29056989">The Path to Kyōsei</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/onemorepineapple/pseuds/onemorepineapple'>onemorepineapple</a>, <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheRedConverseGirl/pseuds/TheRedConverseGirl'>TheRedConverseGirl</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Naruto</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Blank Period, Canon Divergent, F/M, Genin Era, SasuSaku - Freeform, Shippuden Era, symbiosis</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 07:40:40</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>12,579</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29056989</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/onemorepineapple/pseuds/onemorepineapple, https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheRedConverseGirl/pseuds/TheRedConverseGirl</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>The moment Team 7 forms, they feel it. A closeness, a sort of bond that is waiting to be developed, waiting to be nurtured, waiting to grow. As they grow closer together, two organisms, two people, begin to interact and symbiosis is set in motion. But for a long, long time, it doesn’t feel very beneficial to either of them.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Haruno Sakura/Uchiha Sasuke</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>72</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>167</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Act I</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>some elements inspired by a dramoine fic "don't look back" by onyx_and_elm (very good if you sail with this ship). we're very excited to share this story with ya'll and hope you enjoy!!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p><b> <em>(symbiosis</em> </b> <em> [noun] - a beneficial and advantageous interaction developed between two organisms within a close, physical alliance) </em></p>
<p> </p>
<p>The moment Team 7 forms, they feel it. A closeness, a sort of bond that is waiting to be developed, waiting to be nurtured, waiting to grow. </p>
<p>Of course it doesn’t begin to progress right away. She’s annoying, he’s broody, and their blonde teammate is kind of dumb and loud and don’t get them started on Kakashi. Sakura looks over at Sasuke, excited to be a part of his team and get closer to him (suck it Ino-pig) and squeals when he glances in her direction. Sasuke’s eye twitches at the shrill noise and he wonders why forming a team is any help to him. He thinks they’ll only weigh him down. </p>
<p>But as they grow closer together, two organisms, two people, begin to interact and symbiosis is set in motion. </p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<h4>
  <strong>Bells Test</strong>
</h4>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>Sasuke watches his kunais and shurikens flying towards Kakashi. They glide past the trees and strike his sensei’s side. A flicker of excitement mixed with disbelief hits Sasuke but it’s short-lived when he notices that they actually lodged in a trunk. It was a substitution <em> again </em>.</p>
<p>He moves to lower grounds, swiping the area for traps and any signs of those damn bells, when a sense of dread stops him in his tracks at the same time a scream – <em> that’s Sakura’s voice </em> – reaches him.</p>
<p>
  <em> Is she okay? </em>
</p>
<p>He feels his heart pounding in his ears, hands sweating, and he blames the adrenaline he’s under. And only because it might lead him to the bells, Sasuke decides to follow the screams direction. He turns to do just that when a voice stops him. </p>
<p>“Shinobi Battle Skill Number 2: Genjutsu,” Kakashi explains. </p>
<p>Understanding washes over him, and for a split second, his mind is divided between <em> what did she see that made her scream like that? </em> and “I’m different from them.” </p>
<p>Falling into a fighting stance, Sasuke manages to impress his sensei. He touches one of the bells for a second and he doesn’t miss Kakashi’s face when he takes a deep breath and goes through the signs for his clan’s signature jutsu. </p>
<p>The last flames of his Katon vanish and then, he’s the one that is surprised. Kakashi wraps his fingers around his calf and uses an earth jutsu that Sasuke is not familiar with, leaving him buried deep below the ground with only his head poking out. </p>
<p>It’s hard to say how long he stays like that, confined and waiting for one of the other idiots to rescue him, not that it would happen any time soon– </p>
<p>“Sakura?” </p>
<p>The girl looks at him, screams, and then faints. <em> Faints</em>. </p>
<p>He still isn’t sure how he got out of that hole, but it seems as though Sakura’s panic set him into motion. A few seconds later, Sasuke’s kneeling beside her. The girl comes to, quicker than he’d expected, and he stumbles backwards when she shrieks his name and throws her arms around him. </p>
<p>It’s probably a scary experience, Sasuke thinks, to see a severed head on the ground, and because of that he lets her hug him for a bit longer. That’s what he tells himself later at night when he recalls their genin exam. That’s also his explanation for opening his mouth and telling her about his revenge and a certain <em> man</em>.</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<h4>
  <strong>Land of Waves</strong>
</h4>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>Their first <em> real </em> mission is a mess.</p>
<p>Too many unforeseen events to start.</p>
<p>They are fighting chunin shinobi and then a Class-A missing nin, working together as a team to save their sensei and their lives, and Sakura feels like an intruder. She stands in front of their charge, holding a kunai and hope between trembling fingers. There’s nearly nothing she can do to contribute, she knows, but she’ll die trying if she needs too.</p>
<p>Then, there are recovering days and training days, and for the first time since Team Seven was formed, Sakura feels like she’s making progress when she manages to walk up the tree before her teammates. It’s not that she’s skilled, she knows. She’s not from a prestigious clan or doesn't have some random, hidden talent, but her theoretical knowledge is more than enough when one has chakra affinity like her.</p>
<p>Her brain has memorized more than a dozen shinobi books, she knows rules and theories and how-tos for every situation she might get into during a mission. None of that prepares Sakura for having her heart ripped out of her ribcage when she sees Sasuke’s beaten body laying on the ground, though.</p>
<p>Sakura screams, or she thinks she’s screaming. Her mind is numb and everything feels distant as though she’s watching this awful, painful experience from outside her body.</p>
<p>Panic rises in her chest as her surroundings blur in a haze of anxiety. She sobs, tears running down her cheeks, sliding down her neck like waterfalls. She runs but she doesn’t remember ordering her body to move. There’s a vague memory of her talking with Tazuna and holding his hand. </p>
<p>The relentless thud of her heart matches her ragged breaths as she approaches Sasuke. It’s quiet, too quiet, yet her inward pleas cry louder than any silence, desperate and anguished. <em> Please don’t, please not him. Please, Sasuke-kun, wake up. Come back to me. </em></p>
<p>She refuses to look at his bruises and the fresh blood around his wounds, and she tries more than anything not to look at the countless senbons embedded in his skin. She recites the useless shinobi rule number 25 – which she <em> hates hates hates </em> more than anything now – and cries with abandon, allowing herself to mourn her teammate, friend, and <em> the one that got away.  </em></p>
<p>
  <em> (She holds him because she knows he won’t push her away. She holds him now before it’s too late…) </em>
</p>
<p>The stone feels cold underneath him and a heavy pressure crushes his body. <em> Did I... die? </em> Is his first thought. The weight suffocates him, makes it hard to breathe, and her sobs… <em> Sakura?  </em></p>
<p>Her sobs hurt more than a thousand senbons. <em> Am I.. am I..? </em>A strange sorrow weighs on him, squeezing his heart in a vice-like grip. Unbearably slowly, he tries to swim through this haze, following her whimpers until he reaches the surface and opens his eyes.</p>
<p>
  <em> Pink.  </em>
</p>
<p>He sees pink and he remembers where he is, who is there with him, and why this girl that barely knew him until a few months ago is mourning him like he’s her most precious person.  </p>
<p>“...Sakura, you're heavy."</p>
<p>Sasuke watches her fears dissolving in her green-green eyes when her head snaps back and she gets off of him. Startled, wide eyes blink back tears and a wave of relief washes over them– <em> her eyes, her, him, them. </em></p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<h4>
  <strong>Forest of Death</strong>
</h4>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>Anger– </p>
<p>
  <em> You just stood there and watched!  </em>
</p>
<p>Hate– </p>
<p>
  <em> You just let them die! </em>
</p>
<p>It’s sinking into him like venom, oozing into every crevice of his mind, his body, his heart. It pulses on his neck, flowing through his veins, through his blood.</p>
<p>
  <em> You’re nothing but a weakling! </em>
</p>
<p>Fuck that.</p>
<p>He is <em> not </em>weak.</p>
<p>He hears voices, distantly, as his body and consciousness work to catch up. The blood in his veins continues to boil, bubbling to the surface of his skin, and it itches, it burns, <em> it feels amazing</em>.</p>
<p>When he can stand again, he turns to see Sakura, battered, bruised, bleeding and it <em> enrages him</em>. He will not stand by, will not stand idle ever again– <em> he is no longer weak</em>.</p>
<p>“Sakura,” the voice is low, gravelly– he almost doesn’t recognize it as his own. “Who did this to you?”</p>
<p>With each step he takes, each breath he releases, this poison, this malice, <em> this power </em> engulfs him like a flame, swallowing him up whole and he looks around as Sakura speaks to him <em> your body what’s happening to it </em>and he turns his attention downward to see the black marks oozing from his veins, like sludge, onto his pale skin.</p>
<p>“There’s nothing to worry about,” he consoles. </p>
<p>He feels strong– his entire being is bursting with power. And he knows this is his path, this is his ticket to revenge, even though it’s coming from the devil himself. His eyes, blazing a crimson inferno, set themselves on the Sound nin who dared to touch his teammate. The enemy takes his stance and the attack begins.</p>
<p>And it’s so <em> easy</em>.</p>
<p>He’s faster, his abilities flawless, everything he does is magnified and it’s too fucking easy to beat this guy. </p>
<p>Good.</p>
<p>It means it’ll be easy to break his fucking arms for touching her.</p>
<p>There’s a deafening snap of bones and flesh twisting inhumanely that overshadows the Sound nins’ agonizing scream. It’s followed by a silence that has everyone’s pulses stopping, has their ears ringing from the too still quiet suffocating the forest that surrounds them. And Sasuke– everything in him is drumming, simmering as he drops the useless body to the forest floor. </p>
<p>He’s no longer weak.</p>
<p>Sasuke takes a step forward, eyeing the other nin before him, thinking only that hell will be paid, blood will be spilled. He’s so intent on this he practically <em> craves </em> it. The marks along his body continue to fester and eat at his skin and it’s exhilarating. There’s so much power here <em> inside him </em> and his eyes continue to glow, filtering in hate as he moves closer and closer– </p>
<p>“Stop it!”</p>
<p>Sakura’s voice cracks through the silent forest, her voice bouncing off the trees and he lurches forward slightly from the crash of her body behind him, her arms wrapping around his, holding him tightly as she trembles and trembles and– </p>
<p>“Please.”</p>
<p>He looks back at her, eyes wide and sees her green eyes glistening, chunks of tears rapidly descending down her bruised and beaten face. He wants to be mad at her, wants her to let him get revenge – <em> he is the avenger </em>– but she pulls him tighter and there’s something in him that reaches out to her through the haze of this power, this strength, this poison.</p>
<p>“Please, stop it,” her voice is just as shaky as her body, so full of emotions, too many to decipher– </p>
<p>And it pulls at him. He hears her barely held back sobs, hears the quaking of her voice, sees the <em> fear– </em> no, the determination in her gaze, telling him <em> this is not who he is</em>. With her arms against his, wrapped around his waist, he feels this crazed energy being pulled <em> back back back</em>, far far away.</p>
<p>But there’s something else. Something more. It’s coming from her and he’s seeking it out, searching <em> searching </em> and he falls into her slightly. A sense of clarity overwhelms him and the fog of hatred and fury is lifting off of him like smoke ascending from a fire. The marks begin to dissipate and the sludge against his skin, in his blood, in his mind, is evaporating with every ragged breath she takes and his neck pulses once more before it becomes a dull pain, soon to wither out. </p>
<p>When he collapses on the terrain, she continues to hold onto him, catching him as he falls, steadying him and as they sit together, watching the Sound nins disappear, listening to Naruto yap like an idiot and the other teams talk, he looks at his hands. <em> What happened to me…? </em></p>
<p>He glances over at Sakura and she’s flicking her hair, her jagged, uneven <em> short </em>hair. And he sticks close to her the remainder of the time, as the teams separate again, as him, Naruto, and Sakura move deeper into the forest, near a lake, he thinks he’s going to be there when she needs him. </p>
<p>She calls out for him to light a fire with his katon and he immediately stops fishing, berating Naruto who yells back at him – <em> but you just said! </em> – and turns to give her whatever she needs.</p>
<p>Only, it’s not Sakura that needs Sasuke. </p>
<p> </p>
<p><em> ( </em> <b> <em>commensalism</em> </b> <em> [noun] - when one organism seeks out another for its own welfare but neither harms nor benefits the other) </em></p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<h4>
  <strong>The Bench </strong>
</h4>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>Sakura’s lying in her bed when her stomach twists. She feels nauseous and she almost makes a break for her bathroom when she pauses and stares at the picture next to her bed. The picture she’s grown to cherish so much– the team, <em> the family </em>, she treasures. Her precious people, Naruto’s precious people, Kakashi’s little brats, Sasuke–</p>
<p>Her eyes widen.</p>
<p>It’s him. She thinks back to the last few days, the conversation she had with Naruto <em> don’t worry sasuke won’t be tempted by him </em> , <em> he’s strong. </em> But as she stares at the picture there’s a sense of– of <em> guilt</em>? It’s seeping down on her, overwhelming her and then– it stops. And she feels– she feels <em> numb </em> and just like that she <em> knows </em>–</p>
<p><em> He’s leaving</em>.</p>
<p>As quickly as she can <em> but it doesn’t feel quick enough </em> she runs and runs to the only road that leads out of Konoha and waits and waits, standing in the middle of the path, heart erratic, fists trembling at her sides, mind whirling <em> what does she need to say, what can she say </em> only knowing she has to do or say <em> something</em>. A dark shadow emerges and he slowly approaches her, head down.</p>
<p>When he looks up, there’s a sense of shock, irritation, <em> maybe even a little hope? </em> </p>
<p>He asks her why she’s out here, trying to ignore how her eyes focus on his backpack. She’s been keeping watch and his eye twitches because of course she has. Of course she knows what he’s planning on doing. He tells her to go to bed, walking past her, fists curling in the pockets of his shorts, ignoring the tinge of heartache.</p>
<p>And then she’s spewing out words, any kind of words, any kind of <em> anything </em> to remind him, to let him know that Kakashi is here, Naruto is here, <em> she is here </em> . But he’s pushing back <em> he can’t ever be like her or naruto </em> and he won’t, he <em> can’t </em> let her words get to him even though <em> he’s taught her so much </em>– </p>
<p>“I– I love you with all my heart, Sasuke-kun!”</p>
<p>More words pour out, her heart pours out as she desperately tries to plead with him <em> please please please don’t go, stay with us, we can grow strong together</em>, <em> we can get revenge together </em>– </p>
<p>“You really are annoying,” he turns, a smirk on his face. Because she is <em> so damn annoying </em> and he is so so close to giving in but–</p>
<p>Tears are streaming down her face and she threatens to scream. He makes his move, appearing behind her and her heart thuds. </p>
<p>“Sakura,” his heart <em> thumps</em>. “Thank you.” </p>
<p>There’s a tap and she feels light, weightless, drowsy, but the tears are still pouring from her eyes as they slowly close and all she can think is <em> Sasuke-kun</em>.</p>
<p>The back of his head spasms as he catches her before she falls to the ground, carrying her over to the bench. As gently as he can, he sets her down, wiping away some of her tears and there’s so much of his heart that is <em> aching </em> as he brings his fingers up to his eyes, stopping his own before they can fall.</p>
<p><em> This</em>, he thinks as he looks down at her drying tears and blinks back the last remnants of his, <em> is my last moment of weakness</em>. He steps away from the bench, away from Kakashi, away from Naruto, and far far away from Sakura and walks out of the village.</p>
<p>It is in this moment that their connection is no longer one sided, no longer just Sasuke seeking out Sakura for his own benefit, his own needs as she remains untethered, unharmed. </p>
<p>No, it is here that their relationship develops as fully symbiotic, as they actively seek the other for their well-being because they need each other and it is for their benefit that they stay together, stay connected. </p>
<p>It’s a benefit that, like the start of their symbiotic relationship, the start of their bond, takes a while to nurture, to grow.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>let us know what you think with a comment or drop an emoji :) thank ya'll for reading!! </p>
<p>❤️️ = I love this story!<br/>😳 = this was hot!<br/>💐 = thank you for sharing this<br/>🍵 = tea spilled<br/>🍬 = so sweet and fluffy!<br/>🚔 = you’re under arrest! the writing’s too good!<br/>😲 = I NEED THE NEXT CHAPTER<br/>😢 = you got me right in the feels<br/>🤯 = mind blown<br/>🤬 = mfing cliffhanger<br/>😫 = whyyyyyyy?!?!?</p>
<p>xoxo</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Act II</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p><em> (</em><b><em>mutualism</em> </b> <em> [noun] - when two organisms, two partners, receive the benefits of their symbiotic relationship) </em></p><p> </p><p>Except for a long, long time, it doesn’t feel very beneficial to either of them.</p><p> </p><hr/><h4>
  <strong>First Period</strong>
</h4><hr/><p> </p><p>What the fuck.</p><p>His teeth gnash together as he tries to bite back his groan. This will not do. It’s like his organs are being ripped apart, stomped on, and thrown back inside his body. He’s sweating, his head is fucking <em> throbbing</em>, and he wants fucking chocolate… no he doesn’t want chocolate. He wants dango of all things, mitarashi dango to be more specific.</p><p>The fuck?</p><p>The discomfort lessens after the first day, dissipating completely after four and he moves forward, training under Orochimaru, training to get stronger, more powerful, <em> more more more </em> and his goal is getting closer and closer as each day passes. </p><p>He will defeat Itachi.</p><p> </p><hr/><h4>
  <strong>Sakura’s Rage = Sasuke’s Rage</strong>
</h4><hr/><p> </p><p>Some days she’s filled with so much rage, so much <em> hate </em> it’s hard to breath. </p><p>She tries to stay in on the days when those emotions manifest or she’ll go to the training grounds to punch a few craters and destroy a few trees. Ino chalks it up to hormones and regular menstrual shit but Sakura is precise on the days her periods start. She knows exactly when, exactly what to expect, and is prepared. Always prepared.</p><p>She is never prepared for this.</p><p>This blind rage, this wrath that digs deep into her marrow and fuels a fire she isn’t sure she can put out. </p><p>But then other days, she’s numb. It’s hard to feel <em> anything</em>, not even the fury that often suffocates her. </p><p>She trains on those days too.</p><p>Trains and trains and trains.</p><p>She’ll get stronger.</p><p> </p><hr/><h4>
  <strong>Inexplicable Bliss</strong>
</h4><hr/><p> </p><p>Tossing and turning are not uncommon during the nights.</p><p>Sasuke is used to nightmares and restlessness since the tender age of eight. He’s used to waking up covered in cold sweat, eyes unfocused, and heart hammering in a crescendo. He’s used to rest on his back, eyes wide open until sunrise. What Sasuke is not used to is feeling this… this <em> heat</em>… in the dead of winter, when he’s barely reached his bed’s covers or lit the fire.</p><p>He feels it swirling inside of him. It starts in his lower abdomen and it fans out to his extremities with a great speed as though it's a wildfire spreading through Tea country’s rice fields.</p><p>Sasuke walks to his cot, disrobing, because he can’t fucking stand his clothes right now. He’s hot but not sweating, and there’s no way this is a fever. He feels a faint tug below his navel and a sigh escapes his lips. </p><p>Staggering back, he drops to the cot and lays down placing one hand over his stomach. A hundred random images crosses his mind and he feels a little disorientated. A window, snow falling and parted curtains. The night sky and rustling leaves. Pink hair and pink lips.</p><p>He gasps for air, dull nails digging into the skin of his lower stomach, and it feels like he’s turned on, but he’s not even hard – he checked. His mind takes him places and shows him random things, and the room fills with his raspy breaths. </p><p>Everything resembles a race, he just isn’t sure what he’s chasing. His heart pounds and his knees press together, and he holds onto his bedsheets, gripping them tightly in his fists as he goes off like a firecracker. </p><p>His mind is sluggish, blank and quiet. Sasuke feels his muscles relaxing, the tension leaving him, and the remnants of the heat lulls him to a pleasant sleep – probably the first one in years. </p><p>There’s no explanation for what happened and he can’t pinpoint a pattern or a trigger. It takes days or weeks to happen again. Sometimes it happens nearly every night – those are nights filled with blissful sleep – and sometimes, he goes months without an occurrence. </p><p><em> It doesn’t matter what it is</em>, he decides after a couple months as he awaits these random events with anticipation. </p><p> </p><hr/><h4>
  <strong>Tsunade’s Tutelage</strong>
</h4><hr/><p> </p><p>Her body is flung back, hitting the trunk of a tree, and she falls to the torn up earth, heaving, sweat dripping from every pore on her body.</p><p>“You need to be prepared, Sakura,” Tsunade’s voice is harsh, unforgiving.</p><p>Her teeth grind together, threatening to crack under the pressure. Today is a day filled with rage. So much rage and Tsunade is helping her train and teaching her and it’s what she wants but it’s getting difficult to concentrate because this fury is– <em> it’s almost too much to bear</em>. </p><p>But she stands up, wipes at her mouth and charges forward, fist pulled back and ready to crush– </p><p>She lets out a scream.</p><p>–her hand connects with Tsunade’s and her arm bends backwards with a sickening snap. </p><p>“Be prepared for injuries! Be prepared for surprise attacks! <em> Be prepared, you foolish girl!</em>”</p><p>She forces the chakra to her arm, working to mend it as she dodges her shishou’s attack, blinking back the wrath within her. She’s working so <em> hard</em>, working so <em> long </em> to get stronger so she no longer has to stare at Naruto and Sasuke’s backs. So she can bring Sasuke home. </p><p>Today, she lets the rage fuel her and she grows stronger because of it.</p><p>(Somewhere in a hideout far, far away– </p><p>Onyx eyes stare at the stone ceiling, unblinking, empty, and he lays on his cot unmoving, indifferent to the dripping of water or cold, damp air. He hears some of the Sound nin outside bantering and laughing as they pass his room, but he remains still, uncaring, focused on his thoughts of getting stronger, getting revenge, getting– </p><p>“Fuck!” </p><p>Sasuke looks down at his arm, his throbbing, aching, trembling arm. It’s like it was snapped in half or something equally as painful and it’s equally as perplexing as the phantom pains he still feels once a month. He takes slow, calculating breaths and the agony within his arm lessens with each inhale and exhale.</p><p>It takes a while for the discomfort to disappear and when it finally does, he feels... renewed and closes his eyes).</p><p> </p><hr/><h4>
  <strong>Sasori</strong>
</h4><hr/><p> </p><p>He grunts, falling backwards, hand clutching the cave wall for stability, the other moving to his side.</p><p>There’s a sharp, sharp pain– a pain that makes him want to hurl, to scream and it’s almost as if he’s being stabbed. Like his kusanagi is being embedded through his abdomen, pushing away his organs, sliding further and further in. <em> But there’s no one around.  </em></p><p>Distantly he thinks about the pain in his arm that occurred not too long ago and he begins to breathe, releasing slow exhales, calming his mind and body. When the pain withers away, he stands up straight, moving forward, the moment already being pushed into the back, far away in the deepest crevice of his mind. </p><p>Nothing will deter him from his path.</p><p> </p><hr/><h4>
  <strong>Monthly Cycle</strong>
</h4><hr/><p> </p><p>He suggests they stop for the night because Suigetsu and Karin are grating on his fucking <em> nerves </em> with their incessant bickering. Juugo gathers up the firewood, quietly, and Sasuke takes solace in it. None of them get along particularly well, but at least Juugo has the decency to keep to himself most of the time.</p><p>“So, Sasuke,” Suigetsu states a little while later as the fire crackles before them. The silver-haired teen flops down next to him, sharp teeth glistening from the grin he’s sporting. “I’ve made some observations.”</p><p>His left eye threatens to tick but he manages to stay impassive, bored, and silent.</p><p>Suigetsu continues, undeterred, </p><p>“I’ve been keeping track of a certain… time over the past few months.” No response. “A time where you seem crankier than normal, broodier than normal, and just all around a fucking asshole more than normal.” </p><p>Sasuke remains silent.</p><p>“You like on the rag or something? Because it’s kind of uncanny how similar you act when Karin is on hers and I just think– <em> fuck– </em>” </p><p>Suigetsu’s back is against a tree, kusanagi to his throat, and crimson eyes flare to life.</p><p>“What exactly are you implying?”</p><p>“You know what. Nevermind. I didn’t notice a fucking thing.”</p><p>Sasuke rips away from his traveling companion, blade sliding into the hilt with a deafening ring. Ignoring the stares from Juugo and Karin, he stalks over to the tree trunk, sitting down once more, eyes intent on the fire. He’s used to the pain now, sometimes he hardly notices it but when he does, he lets it fuel his body to withstand more, to grow stronger. </p><p> </p><hr/><h4>
  <strong>Learning of the Past</strong>
</h4><hr/><p> </p><p>“You think you know about your brother,” the masked man says, but Sasuke barely hears it as though he’s under water. </p><p>The man keeps talking and without meaning to, his left Sharingan activates and black flames are casted. Sasuke is confused, still disoriented after the fight, barely able to see more than blurs in front of him, and he can’t explain what just happened. </p><p>He asks just that and the masked man tells him that it’s the Amaterasu, which Itachi had implanted inside of him. Eyes widened at the mention of his brother, Sasuke feels numb but still starved for answers. So he asks.</p><p>
  <em> Why would Itachi do something like that? Why did he transfer his ocular powers to him? Why did it activate on its own accord? </em>
</p><p>The masked man tells Sasuke that it was for his own protection, but it’s hard to believe his brother would do that after… everything. </p><p>“Protect?” </p><p>The word falls from his lips like it’s a foreign concept, like he’s asking for its definition more than the reasoning behind the action. It’s impossible, Sasuke thinks, and he’s so tired that he can barely respond to what the man says. Nonchalantly, Sasuke turns to the man and warns him, in a frigid monotone, that he’ll kill him if he continues with this bullshit.</p><p>Sasuke is so, <em> so </em> tired and people keep spilling out lies as though he’s a child that believes in everything an adult says as long as they smile or pat his back. And the man doesn’t stop his tirade, telling him it’s for his own good that he listens to the truth.</p><p>It’s impossible not to when he’s bedridden and in shock, trembling slightly as he learns the other side of his ghosts. Feeling nauseated, Sasuke lurches forward, clutching his stomach as the truth of the Uchiha Massacre, Itachi’s betrayal, and Konoha’s secrets overfill his brain. </p><p>“What the hell is this guy saying?” He whispers.</p><p>Blood pounds in his ears. The overwhelming sense of dread makes it hard to swallow, to breathe, and he can feel his fingertips tingling, the numb sensation spreading across his skin. Heaving, he takes desperate shallow breaths, gasping for air as his lungs threaten to collapse. His mind and heart race against time as he’s forced to relive the past.</p><p>When it’s over, Sasuke still feels numb and empty, but only until enough time ticks for the rage to boil up.  </p><p>(Not long after, maybe a day or two, but still far, far away from there, her eyes open. </p><p>Her eyes are open.</p><p>But she can’t see.</p><p>Her eyes are<em> open </em>but she<em> can’t see</em>.</p><p>With the help of her parents, she gets to Tsunade’s office where the Godaime works efficiently, hurriedly to find the cause of Sakura’s sudden loss of sight. And the Sannin works and probes and prods until Tsunade sighs, gloss-coated lips pressing thinly together. Honey eyes overlook her bright, young pupil who is sitting on the edge of the bed, fists enclosed on her knees, eyes staring off into the distance, as salty tears stream down.</p><p>“Your eyes are responsive, Sakura. Your channels are all normal, nothing is blocked, the color is normal– there’s zero nerve damage. I–” The older woman pauses and Sakura, dejectedly, imagines her hands on her hips, blonde brows furrowing. “I don’t understand why you can’t see.”</p><p>When her sight comes back two days later, Sakura feels hollow, like the world is falling away at her feet).</p><p> </p><hr/><h4>
  <strong>Sasuke’s Training</strong>
</h4><hr/><p> </p><p>“Naruto!”</p><p>“Eh, Sakura-chan?” He slurps up the noodles and gulps, but not because of the food. </p><p>No.</p><p>Sakura looks <em> pissed</em>. </p><p>She stomps over to Naruto and yanks him up from the bar stool at Ichiraku’s, slamming down some money for Teuchi and proceeds to drag him through the streets, towards the training grounds.</p><p>All fucking day long she’s felt like she’s been thrown, punched, hurled to the ground– like she’s being beat the fuck up and it’s infuriating. </p><p>“I need to hit something.”</p><p>And Naruto wishes for sweet sweet death because that’s definitely better than being at the mercy of the insanely strong hands of his best friend and teammate.</p><p> </p><hr/><h4>
  <strong>Land of Iron</strong>
</h4><hr/><p> </p><p>“Sasuke-kun!” </p><p>Her yell resounds across the shattered bridge, over the <em> chirp chirp chirp </em> of his chidori as he hovers his hand over Karin’s broken, bloodied body. He glances over to see pink, a color he hasn’t seen in a long time, and utters a name he hasn’t spoken since Orochimaru’s hideout.</p><p>“Sakura.”</p><p>He watches her leap over the trench, landing feet away from him, hair fluttering from the small breeze. Words spew from her mouth <em> she regrets not coming with him </em> and something ticks inside him but he tells her to kill Karin, to prove herself, her loyalty to him and the tick is suffocated under his wrath. </p><p>She feels that same tick and it’s being overshadowed by barely contained rage. The rage that has consumed her the past few days. He’s not the same boy she went on missions with, not the same boy she pleaded with to stay in Konoha with her. </p><p>No.</p><p>Now he wants Konoha to burn and she can’t let him.</p><p>She feels an icy pit bleeding into the rage, a void made up of absolutely <em> nothing </em> and she takes a step forward, looking down at the redhead beneath his feet. He wants her to kill this girl? No, this is not her Sasuke. And that void in her, she lets it grow, fueling her and what she needs to do. She turns her back to him like she’s about to do as he asked, poisoned kunai at the ready. </p><p>She has to do this. </p><p>
  <em> Chirp. </em>
</p><p>She has to be the one to— to—</p><p>
  <em> Chirp. </em>
</p><p>And there’s nothing to feel—</p><p><em> Chirp</em>.</p><p>Not shock, not anger, not fear, not rage—</p><p>They feel nothing.</p><p>She holds the kunai out as his hand moves towards her chest, electric, white, blue <em> chirping </em> and it’s so loud and it’s so close and—</p><p>Kakashi jumps in at the last possible second before Sasuke’s hand can enter her chest or her kunai can slice his throat. </p><p>And they feel nothing.</p><p>Even after, as she carries the redhead away and begins to heal her, even as the tears tumble down her cheeks in chunks, she thinks she should feel <em> something </em> , such as the blind rage from earlier, or desperation, or– or something, <em> anything </em>. But there’s nothing– there’s just a void.</p><p>A cold, hollow void.</p><p> </p><hr/><h4>
  <strong>Fourth Shinobi War</strong>
</h4><hr/><p> </p><p>It beats them both down, takes their breaths away, makes them feel an endless circle of emotions and wounds – <em> open and closed, past and present </em>– are laid out when they see each other during the brink of the end as they know it.</p><p> </p><hr/><h4>
  <strong>Strength of a Hundred</strong>
</h4><hr/><p> </p><p>He feels… <em> power</em>. Powerful. Victorious and… giddy? Why the fuck would he feel giddy at a time like this? </p><p>Something pulses along his temples, throbbing through his skull, washing over him like a wave and he hears a gasp from Sakura. He turns to look at her, only for her to blur past him, charging towards the enemies with a loud <em> shannaro </em> and he <em> feels </em> the impact before it happens. More specifically, the control, the energy, and then the collision is made and dust and bodies and terrain are flying around them and he vaguely hears Naruto mutter something stupid. </p><p>And for the first time in a long time, he feels satisfied and a smirk begins to grow as he watches Sakura stand in the middle of her destruction, with an equally satisfied smile on her face.</p><p> </p><hr/><h4>
  <strong>The Desert</strong>
</h4><hr/><p> </p><p>He doesn’t know how long he’s been searching through the dimension Kaguya hauled him in but it feels like an eternity, as he wanders endlessly. His boots crunch along the dunes and he wipes at the sweat on his face, skin gritty from the sand clinging to him, and his eyes are sharp, focused on any sign that can lead him out of here. It irks him to think he might have to wait for someone to rescue him. </p><p>And then he feels a sting on his arm, like acid burning his flesh, momentarily pausing his steps as he clutches his bicep and waits for the pain to subside. </p><p>But there’s a sense of determination overflowing him and he’s almost… hopeful. He scoffs, looking around at the infinite waves of sand before him as the sun ruthlessly beams down on his body. Resuming his walk, he thinks feeling hopeful seems like too much—</p><p>A familiar strength pulses, pausing his steps once more. He turns when he hears—</p><p>“Sasuke-kun!”</p><p>—and he runs as quickly as he can <em> it doesn’t feel quick enough </em> towards the portal where Sakura hovers over Obito, pouring her chakra through him. He sees her tremble— no he <em> feels </em>it and he runs faster faster, rinnegan spinning as his eyes land on her flack jacket and just as the portal closes—</p><p>She sways and falls backwards, onto his chest and his hand holds her arm, but not too tightly. He notices the burns on her skin and remembers the pain he felt moments before. Her eyes meet his and it’s been a very long time since he’s seen such a color, like a jade stone, pure and bright, shimmering with exhaustion, relief, and—</p><p><em> Hope</em>.</p><p>Something clicks in his mind but he hardly has any time to decipher it when Obito asks through heavy pants— <em> how? </em></p><p>But as he stands there, explaining his new ocular power and Sakura’s flak jacket, he starts to wonder if that’s even all it was. He lets go of her and watches her kneel beside Obito and the hope filters through him, shining in his mind like a beacon.</p><p>He grips the hilt of his blade and looks away.</p><p> </p><hr/><h4>
  <strong>Playing at Romance</strong>
</h4><hr/><p> </p><p>After everything, <em> everything </em> they’ve been through, Sasuke still has to seek revenge, has to turn his back on them and it’s fucking <em> infuriating</em>. Sakura feels more rage, more hate, <em> more more more </em>than she ever has the last few years and it’s suffocating, consuming and she narrows her eyes, gritting her teeth. She lets it fuel her once more. </p><p>The tears pour down, as her heart pours out of her mouth, pleading with him and it’s fine if he doesn’t return her affections, she will always love him no matter what. Her fists clench at her sides and there’s something<em> pulling pulling pulling </em> her to him and she feels <em> annoyed </em>. She’s smothered by it and when she’s done, when she finally has no more words to give—</p><p>“You really are damned annoying,” he says with a small smirk on his face and it reminds her so much of the boy she tried to stop from leaving the village.</p><p>She thinks her heart should split at this action, this vocalization of his clear and utter disdain for her– but it doesn’t. Even as he thrusts his arm through her chest, even as she begins to fall under a heavy, heavy genjutsu.</p><p>She doesn’t feel shattered by his words, by his actions—</p><p>Sakura sinks to the ground, her eyes heavy and drifting close, and the effects of the genjutsu begin to play in her mind, flash across her lids and as she falls far far away—</p><p>—she continues to feel hope.</p><p>And that hope threatens to splinter Sasuke’s plan, fracture it under the weight of her presence and determination, much like the way her fists ruptured the ground, like the way they shattered Kaguya’s horn. It’s making its way through his body, into his lungs like fresh air, clearing his mind of this affliction he’s cursed with—</p><p>Putting her under genjutsu is the only way to keep it at bay.</p><p> </p><hr/><h4>
  <strong>The Valley of the End</strong>
</h4><hr/><p> </p><p>He feels groggy, which seems natural considering he’s bleeding out next to Naruto, having had the shit beaten out of him. His solace is in the fact that Naruto looks fucking terrible and is bleeding out too, the idiot.</p><p>Sakura lands gracefully between them, face moving to assess their injuries but he notices that she rubs her left arm, observes the slightest wince and twitching of her left eye before she kneels and he feels the warmth of her chakra threading his wound closed. It feels like a warm summer day, the kind he used to enjoy, the kind that brings comfort and a sense of home, belonging.</p><p>She glances over at Nartuo who has a stupid look on his stupid beaten up face then lifts her gaze to see Sasuke’s equally stupid, equally battered face and the tears begin to burn. </p><p>“Sakura-chan,” he says with a stupid grin. Idiot.</p><p>“Sakura, don’t mind me,” Sasuke murmurs out quietly and she can feel his gaze intent on her.</p><p>“Shut up,” she snaps back immediately, though her tone holds no sharpness to it. “I need to concentrate.” </p><p>It’s quiet, aside from their ragged breathing and the soft blow of the wind whistling around them. Her hands continue to glow green, healing and mending these two morons, and she fights back a gulp as something flutters in her stomach, soaring to her chest. Her heart beats faster and faster—</p><p>“Sakura,” she doesn’t need to look up to see it, but she does anyway. Her eyes meet his lone onyx one and it's shimmering with emotions that are coursing through her body. “I’m sorry.”</p><p>She swallows, blinking rapidly, heart pounding continuously, withdrawing her hands. “Sorry- for what?”</p><p>“Everything,” he breathes out.</p><p>And with it, a void is filled within her.</p><p>The tears fall, hitting her pants, dropping to her clenched fists and she shakes, squeezing her eyes shut.</p><p>“You should be,” she utters out between sobs, rubbing a hand over her eyes. “You <em> jerk</em>.”</p><p>He stares at her, a small smile forming on his lips as a void in him is filled and all he can feel is her forgiveness.</p><p>It is here that the two people begin to feel the utterly mutual and beneficial aspect of their symbiotic relationship. Here where forgiveness overlaps regrets, where two hearts begin to beat in preparation of the things to come.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>we hope you enjoyed act 2!! your thoughts/comments/kudos/emoji drops are welcome and so so appreciated!!! thank you so much for reading and we hope you're looking forward to act 3 :))))))</p><p>❤️️ = I love this story!<br/>🔥 = this was hot!<br/>💐 = thank you for sharing this<br/>🍬 = so sweet and fluffy!<br/>🚔 = you’re under arrest! the writing’s too good!<br/>😱 = I NEED THE NEXT CHAPTER<br/>😢 = you got me right in the feels<br/>🤯 = mind blown<br/>🤬 = mfing cliffhanger<br/>😩 = whyyyyyyy?!?!?</p><p>xoxo</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Act III</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>He’s had a lot of time to think. </p>
<p>After being in the dungeons where time doesn’t exist, he thought. When he was transferred to the hospital, under strict lockdown, unable to essentially move without permission, he continues to think. He spends most of his days either sitting up, looking out the window or lying down on the extremely uncomfortable bed, restless. </p>
<p>And there’s been time to think in between visits from Kakashi when he’s not training under the Godaime, time to think between Naruto’s obnoxiously loud visits (never time during because the fucking idiot never shuts up), and time to think between when Sakura visits to bring him food or checks on his arm and his overall well-being.</p>
<p>Yes, he’s had an excruciating amount of time to revisit the last few years, such as his mistakes, the blood on his hands, the ghosts of his past, but mostly he’s had time to think about the strange phantom pains, the strange feelings and he thinks he’s come to a conclusion.</p>
<p>It’s Sakura.</p>
<p>Somehow, some way, everything leads back to her. He doesn’t understand it, doesn’t comprehend how certain events transpired or how they connect yet (well he gets <em> some </em> of them like the monthly thing that’s… pretty obvious...) and there’s also a small part that doubts that this could even be a thing, it really doesn't make that much sense.</p>
<p>But the <em> signs </em> all point to <em> something</em>; there are so many <em> correlations</em>. </p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<h4>
  <strong>Butterflies</strong>
</h4>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>“Sasuke-kun!” She knocks before entering and pushes the door open with her hip. “I brought you some tomatoes to snack on. I know the hospital food can be pretty gross.” </p>
<p>With a bright smile she places the tray on his end table, stomach erupting into millions upon millions of butterflies as he looks at her. God, he just <em> looks </em> at her and she practically melts to the floor. She’ll wait to facepalm when she’s out of the room and suppresses her groan, trying to fight back her blush.</p>
<p>“Thank you,” he murmurs, moving his gaze back to the window. </p>
<p>She pushes her reading glasses up the bridge of her nose and busies herself going over his chart, checking his vitals and as she begins to treat and rebandage his arm she feels nerves prickling in hers, not for the first time. When she’s about to leave, she asks,</p>
<p>“Are you not hungry?” He hasn’t touched the food.</p>
<p>He shrugs, glancing at the tray. “My stomach is a little queasy right now. I’ll eat when it passes.”</p>
<p>Swallowing a lump, Sakura forces a smile and bids him goodbye, making deliberate, unhurried steps to her office as her heart and thoughts race– <em> there’s something going on, she’s sure of it. </em></p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<h4>
  <strong>Clarity</strong>
</h4>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>When she visits outside of her office hours (he notices she’s been wearing glasses lately during her medical visits but leaves them off after hours), he begins to tell her little by little about his past, about Itachi, and then one day he tells her about the transplant and her brow furrows and she bites her lip, chewing like she’s mulling something over. After a long pause,</p>
<p>“Um Sasuke-kun… Would you— I mean if you’re okay with it, would you like me to take a look to see how extensive the nerve damage is?”</p>
<p>He shrugs and gives his consent. He doesn’t have any objections since she’s pretty much healed every other part of his body.</p>
<p>She blushes when he says that and clears her throat before wiggling her glowing fingers, gently pressing them to his temples. Together they close their eyes and she begins to probe and mend the nerves, unblocking some of the chakra paths, and unclogging areas where too much chakra has formed. By the time she’s done, the bright afternoon sky has drifted to a twinkling, starry night and when their eyes open, everything is crystal clear, like the still waters of a lake cast with the glassy glow of moonlight.</p>
<p>Too clear.</p>
<p>His mismatched eyes drill into her, intense and focused.</p>
<p>Clearing her throat, she stands. “Well— well, I should uh should go. I’ll see you tomorrow, okay? Good night, Sasuke-kun.”</p>
<p>He waits until she’s almost out the door when he says, “Good night, Sakura.”</p>
<p>And he smirks, feeling the flutters in his stomach increase.</p>
<p>When she shows up the next day, sans glasses, he marks that down as yet another parallel. </p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<h4>
  <strong>Shelter</strong>
</h4>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>“Sasuke-kun, how much sleep have you been getting?”</p>
<p>Sighing, he rests his head against the pillow thinking back to the last time he slept through the night. It’s been too long since he’s had an actual good night's sleep, but being back in Konoha has increased his nightmares, increased his restlessness, increased the memories that torment him day in and day out.</p>
<p>“Not much,” he ends up stating, sighing once more but suddenly feeling the effects of his exhaustion, his weariness as she moves towards him and begins her checkup. </p>
<p>When she’s pushing chakra into his arm, he falls asleep.</p>
<p>And he does so every time she comes in, prompting him to think back on the past few weeks. It doesn’t take him long to correlate his naps and her presence, but it takes him a little while to understand why. It's a day after she corrected his (and subsequently her) vision that he finally knows. </p>
<p>She brushes his hair back, fingers small but strong, gentle but calloused, sliding down his face, presumably unaware that he’s already stirred awake. </p>
<p>“Sasuke-kun,” her voice is soft, gliding over him like spring rain, and he knows she doesn’t know he’s awake because her fingers linger on his jaw. “Sasuke-kun, I want to check your eyes.” </p>
<p>He flutters them open and her fingers retreat above his eyes in a more professional manner. Her eyes close (for concentration, she says, to help her internally see the damages and nerves) letting her chakra guide her and he studies her (but it’s really because his eyes are often too intense and she becomes a bubbling, flustering mess). He’s thankful she asks him to activate his sharingan because he was half a second away from doing it anyway.</p>
<p>As he’s staring at her, taking in her pink brows furrowed in concentration, her long pink eyelashes dusting her rosy cheeks, the small pearly scar on her chin, and the violet diamond on her forehead, he knows why he can sleep so soundly when she’s around.</p>
<p>She makes him feel safe.</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<h4>
  <strong>Synced</strong>
</h4>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>The day before her cycle starts, he’s released from the hospital (and it’s a release that hardly constitutes his freedom but it is a show of grace). </p>
<p>And the first thing he does is bring her a box <em> full </em> of mitarashi dango.</p>
<p>She promptly flushes, thanking him for the food, asking if he’s visited his apartment yet. She helped pick it out, it’s not far from the training grounds, and close enough to the hospital in case he has any issues with his arm (not for any other reasons than that, no of course not). </p>
<p>“Not yet, I wanted to bring this to you first.” Something in his gaze has her tilting her head and it takes every ounce of strength not to stutter or babble when she figures it out.</p>
<p>Oh my god how fucking embarrassing. Does he— does he <em> feel </em> her menstrual cycle? Oh god.</p>
<p>That has to be it, right? The only thing she craves is dango and it’s the <em> day before</em>, like he knows the first thing she’s going to want in the morning is this sticky, sweet treat that will be devoured in half a minute.</p>
<p>Oh <em> god </em>. </p>
<p>Her forced smile twitches when he asks her to show him to his new apartment. </p>
<p>“Of— of course! Let me just set this in the fridge and we’ll be on our way!” </p>
<p>She’s screaming internally as she adds this to her list of parallels and oh for fuck’s sake what <em> else </em> can he know if he knows <em> that</em>?</p>
<p>
  <em> What else has he felt? </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<h4>
  <strong>Food Perks</strong>
</h4>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>Naruto is looking back and forth and back and forth between his two best friends.</p>
<p>The fuck is going on?</p>
<p>The last three times they’ve been out to eat, he’s watched them trade food with each other or steal food off the others’ plate but it— it doesn’t look like it’s something they’re conscious of. It’s like second nature, as Sakura passes him most of her tomatoes, not once breaking her conversation with Kakashi. And seemingly still actively listening, eyes set on her, Sasuke plops more of his shrimp tempura on her plate.</p>
<p>And then the other day—!</p>
<p>Her chopsticks were up and waving around as she talked, pausing momentarily as she mulled over a thought and Sasuke took a fucking bite from off her chopsticks and he tensed, like he hadn’t meant to.</p>
<p>And then she grinned.</p>
<p>And the bastard sort of smirked.</p>
<p>And everything resumed like normal.</p>
<p>What the actual fuck is going on with them?</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<h4>
  <strong>Crazy = Genius</strong>
</h4>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>It’s like a volcano erupts in his stomach and he looks at the time, past three in the morning, before proceeding to get out of bed. He tosses a shirt on and grunts when his fingers can’t work through the tangles of his disarrayed hair, heading into the kitchen to make tea. He’s placing both tea cups down on his table when a knock comes on his door.</p>
<p>He opens it and—</p>
<p>She looks… frazzled and is panting heavily and his stomach is continually twisting in knots, so he knows her is, too. Her hair is in a bun, of sorts. It’s incredibly messy, pink strands sticking up, falling all around her and she’s in what looks like an old shirt of Naruto’s and shorts. It’s as if she ran over here after hopping straight out of bed but the wild, concentrated look in her green eyes tells him she’s been up for a while.</p>
<p>He opens his mouth—</p>
<p>“Hi Sasuke-kun, I know it’s super late but I really really need to talk to you about something.” She brushes past him, carrying several books, scrolls, a rolled up paper under her arm, and starts to lay everything out. “Okay so I know this is going to sound weird. I mean, it <em> is </em> weird and— okay. I’m just going to— here look at this.”</p>
<p>She flips open a book and points to something. He doesn't look at the book, merely studies her as she flusters and waves her hands around as if to emphasize her words.</p>
<p>“Okay so— here’s the thing. There’s this scientific term called symbiosis and it’s where two organisms, generally of different species like clownfish and anemones, that sort of build a relationship together due to their interactions. And there’s a few different types of symbiotic relationships like parasitism, commensalism, and mutualism.</p>
<p>“A parasitic relationship is kind of how it sounds, one organism benefits off the other, feeding off of it while the other suffers kind of um like the— like the curse mark. A commensalistic relationship is the opposite of that, where an organism feeds off the other organism, but doesn’t cause harm or affects the other in any form.”</p>
<p>She takes a deep breath (finally, he thinks, he was starting to feel breathless), hands fluttering over her books and is that a graph? He leans forwards slightly, yes, that is a very detailed graph.</p>
<p>“And a mutualistic relationship is where the two organisms benefit each other, feeding equally off the other, like a honeybee and a flower. And— Sasuke-kun, will you sit down already? I need to show you this graph—”</p>
<p>“Sakura.” </p>
<p>“—because I have this— this <em> theory </em> and it’s going to sound really really weird but I think there’s something uh something <em> between </em>us and—”</p>
<p>“Sakura.”</p>
<p>“—like I understand if you want to look over everything because—”</p>
<p>“<em> Sakura</em>.”</p>
<p>She pauses and looks up at him, face thoroughly flushed, lips parted, chest rising with every heave of breath she takes.</p>
<p>He tries not to smirk. </p>
<p>“I know.”</p>
<p>She blinks at him. “You— you what?”</p>
<p>Shrugging, he moves to sit down, pushing the tea cup towards her, feeling the tips of his ears burning.</p>
<p>“I know what you’re talking about, I just didn’t have a fancy scientific name for it.”</p>
<p>She continues to gape at him and he feels the blush spreading to his cheeks. He clears his throat and takes a sip of his tea, mismatched eyes focused on her. </p>
<p>“You <em> know!</em>” He winces slightly from her pitch, a memory of her squeal from their genin days echoing in his mind.</p>
<p>“I’ve noticed for a while.”</p>
<p>“For a— Sasuke-kun! What the hell? Why didn’t you say anything?” She smacks his arm and he feels the small amount of chakra she used to make the sting linger.</p>
<p>His eye twitches. “Because I’m not crazy, woman. What was I supposed to do? This?” He gestures to the graphs and books and scrolls she has laid out on his floor and coffee table.</p>
<p>“So <em> I </em> had to be the one to do this? So <em> I </em> look like a crazy person? You— you ass!”</p>
<p>She huffs, blowing pieces of her hair out of her face, and crosses her arms over her chest, bottom lip protruding in a pout. </p>
<p>There’s a long, long pause and then—</p>
<p>“Sakura.”</p>
<p>“What!”</p>
<p>“I know you’re not mad at me.”</p>
<p>“Augh!” </p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<h4>
  <strong>Battle Scars</strong>
</h4>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>She’s sitting in her office, reviewing paperwork (mountains upon mountains of paperwork that rival the stack on Tsunade’s desk but she supposes this is what happens when you open up a mental health clinic for children and become the head of the hospital) and Sasuke lies on the couch, waiting for her to be done because there’s not much else for him to do (he’s already kicked Naruto’s ass in training and there’s a part of him that just sort of needs to be near her).</p>
<p>He fidgets for a bit before sitting up to stretch, feeling a slight twinge in his arm. When he rubs it and rolls his shoulders, he glances over at Sakura and notices she rolls her left shoulder, cracking her neck. </p>
<p>Thinking about the discussion they had the other day (and her fancy scientific term and extensively detailed graph), he steps towards her desk and slides his finger along a piece of paper, testing, waiting. She hisses and pops her index finger in her mouth to suck off blood that is not there.</p>
<p>He remembers moments during the war when he felt her emotions, where he’s pretty sure he experienced the releasing of her Byakugou seal, the acid burns from Kaguya’s dimension, and how she absently rubbed her arm when she healed him and Naruto. He ruminates on the phantom pain he felt (still feels) once a month, among others he experienced during the years he was at Orochimaru’s hideouts, traveling with Taka, or random moments in time throughout the years he was gone. Two moments in particular cross his mind.</p>
<p>“When I was in one of Orochimaru’s hideouts,” he watches as she pauses in her scribbling to look up at him, attention rapt, “one night I was lying in bed when I felt like my arm had been broken, almost crushed. Another time I felt like I was stabbed.” He points to his abdomen. “And it almost felt like my organs were on fire.”</p>
<p>Her pink brows furrow as she contemplates the times before nodding.</p>
<p>“I remember a handful of times where I felt like I was getting beat up. Oh! And there was one time it was like I had little burns all over my body.” She leans back in her chair with a look of awe on her face, as everything begins to fit together in this giant puzzle they find themselves in.</p>
<p>Sasuke holds up his finger, revealing a dabble of blood from the small nick, and she looks down at hers, mouth shaped in an <em> oh</em>. When her eyes meet his again, he brings his finger up to his mouth and sucks the blood off, watching her throat bob from a gulp, cheeks tingeing pink. Their hearts pound in tandem. </p>
<p>“What happened those times?”</p>
<p>She tucks a stray piece of hair behind her ear, inhaling softly. </p>
<p>“Well, there was one time during my training with Tsunade-shishou where she broke my arm. I went to punch her and connected with her fist and she snapped it back.” She chews her lip, mulling over her thoughts. “I bet the stabbing you felt was when I battled Sasori. He drove a poisoned sword through my side.” </p>
<p>Sakura stands up and moves to stand beside him, lifting up her red dress enough to reveal her stomach, scar just above her black shorts. Mismatched eyes stay rapt on the pearly white scar as he brings his fingers to it. Her stomach ripples from the touch and she swallows, blush deepening as he traces the mark and she turns her body slightly as he grazes over to inspect the identical scar on her back. When he feels his stomach erupt in flutters, he clears his throat and removes his hand, ears burning.</p>
<p>She quickly pulls her dress down and smoothes it out. A moment of silence passes before he lifts his shirt and feels another explosion of butterflies dancing in his stomach (it’s not like she’s never <em> seen </em> his body, she was his medic, but it’s different okay). He takes a deep breath to calm himself (and her) and points to a couple of burn injuries.</p>
<p>“These are from Deidara and his clay explosives.”</p>
<p>Her fingers are a little cold and his muscles twitch at the contact but he observes as she lightly outlines his scars before moving over to a jagged one above his navel. And they begin to swap stories, injuries, moments in time where they potentially felt each others’ wounds, felt each others’ pain.</p>
<p>They’ve moved to her couch and she’s in the middle of a story when he remembers a pain in his arm, like he had been stung, almost burned, by a powerful whip. He voices this and studies her as she brings a hand to her bicep, a pensive look on her face.</p>
<p>“That was Naruto- when he transformed into four-tails.” She pauses for a moment, a sad smile on her face. “He just lost control and I tried to— to save him, talk him out of it but he lashed out...” </p>
<p>He takes a deep breath, blood pulsing in his ears, feeling her unasked question. The wound from Sasori, from Naruto happened right before they saw each other for the first time in years. </p>
<p>“I could feel you coming,” he states, quietly, thoughtfully. “I remember waiting in the hideout when it happened and then—” he swallows, taking a deep breath. “There was this feeling of urgency and it continued to intensify until you burst out of the tunnel then it kind of—”</p>
<p>“Popped,” they finish together.</p>
<p>It’s silent as they sit on her couch, hands close enough to feel warmth from the other but not quite touching. Sakura is the first to speak and she speaks in a gentle, curious tone.</p>
<p>“When do you think it… this connection first started?”</p>
<p>It’s not the first time he’s thought about it; he’s asked himself the same question over and over, trying to pinpoint a memory, a figment of time where it could have been possible to form this bond, this <em> relationship </em> they have. And he’s positive he knows the answer now.</p>
<p>“The night I left Konoha, how did you know?”</p>
<p>He’s swimming in her shimmering green pools. “I just— it was this feeling. I remember… being so queasy and I got up to go to the bathroom but stopped when I looked at the picture of Team 7. And the longer I stared at it, the more… guilty I felt, the more pain I felt, and then I felt nothing. Like the feelings were being pushed to the side and I just— I knew.” </p>
<p>A tear slides down her cheek and he brings his hand up, thumb stroking her soft skin, brushing away the hurt, the memory of being left behind. </p>
<p>She lets out a light exhale.</p>
<p>“Do you think that’s when it started?”</p>
<p>He nods, thumb still caressing her cheek and they unconsciously move closer together on the couch. When he brings their forehead together, looking into her pure jade eyes, he’s sure he knows the moment it started for him.</p>
<p>“Perhaps… perhaps that’s how it started for the both of us but I think it began earlier for me. In the Forest of Death, when you pulled me away from the curse seal.” He blinks, furrowing his brow. “What did you say about the other two types of symbiosis? Commensalism?”</p>
<p>“Yeah… when one person benefits but the other remains unharmed. You think…?”</p>
<p>“Aa. The moment you pulled me out, I could feel something and when I left…” He trails off, knowing she can feel and sense the words he doesn’t say. </p>
<p>They’re quiet for several moments, foreheads pressed together, breaths mingling, his fingers leaving traces of electricity on her cheek, and she suppresses a shiver. </p>
<p>“Sasuke-kun,” she breathes out and swallows.</p>
<p>“Hn.”</p>
<p>“Uh I— I need to finish my paperwork,” her cheeks are warming under his fingers. </p>
<p>“Aa.”</p>
<p>They reluctantly pull away, stomachs dancing in twists. </p>
<p>“Yakiniku Q?”</p>
<p>“Oh, yes. That sounds <em> amazing</em>.” She walks back to her desk, ignoring the way his eyes plant goosebumps along her skin.</p>
<p>He smirks, turning to open the door. </p>
<p>“I know.”</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<h4>
  <strong>Self-Control </strong>
</h4>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>Sometimes Sasuke forgets that he’s still a growing young man, the same way he forgets that <em> she </em> has bloomed into a beautiful woman.</p>
<p>It’s not unintentional, unfortunately. Once one learns that their closest “<em>f</em><em>riends” </em> are somehow connected to them and can feel what they feel, one avoids things to preserve others. </p>
<p>Like for example, his dignity. </p>
<p>Sakura punches craters in the ground, pluck trees off as though they are daisies, and then heals the hideous bruises her fists create. </p>
<p>It’s hard to watch the raw power delivered with this level of sharpness and control and not be affected. It’s also hard to watch those slender curves, those endless legs – especially when she kicks high in the air during training – and don’t get him started on other little things like how her lips are always shining because she can’t fucking stop licking them. And— and he can’t even appreciate her eyes, because if he glances at them for longer than socially acceptable, she’ll <em> know </em>. </p>
<p>She always knows, he reminds himself. </p>
<p>So that’s why he saves these thoughts for when she’s working graveyard shifts in the hospital or when he’s out in a mission, because if he let himself get carried away, she’ll not only know, she’ll definitely feel it... and that’s a threshold his drilled manners won’t let him cross (even though he’s pretty sure he <em> felt </em> her – her barely contained desire and a bunch of other things – more times that he can remember. It was once the only thing it would put him to sleep). </p>
<p>Now that he stopped to think about it, Sasuke can’t remember when was the last time he felt that random “<em>heat</em>” and that makes him wonder if Sakura is this good at self-control or if she has a plan similar to his. </p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<h4>
  <strong>Non-Dates</strong>
</h4>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>They hang out now (quite often). </p>
<p>Alone.</p>
<p>When Ino asks her about that, Sakura denies with warm cheeks, because <em> no </em> , they aren’t dating and <em> it’s not like that, Ino-pig.  </em></p>
<p>She replies that question every other day and every time that Sakura offers the same answer, Ino stomps off, but not before telling her once again that “dinner followed by a movie and possibly accidental cuddling on the couch” is clearly a kind of date even though they haven’t left the comfort of their houses.</p>
<p>Later that night, after stuffing themselves with takoyaki and then popcorn, Sakura ends up leaning against Sasuke on her couch, and the conversation she had with Ino returns with full-force, making her completely aware of their closeness and how her body is snuggling his side with too much familiarity. </p>
<p>His arm is dropped over the couch and she feels his fingers playing with the ends of her pink locks, which doesn’t make the current struggle any easier. Now that she’s aware that they are indeed acting like a couple in love, every interaction is magnified.</p>
<p>
  <em> Sasuke’s suddenly too warm and too close. His heart beats too fast, doesn’t it? And why does he keep playing with her hair like that? Is it because it makes her shiver? Or is it an unconscious thing? Wait– is that cologne? Did he always smell heavenly like that?  </em>
</p>
<p>Sakura can’t freaking remember when things got so out of hand that she can’t distinguish his scent without overthinking things. The young girl inside of her squeals and also sweats a bit, nerves making her heart palpitate. The flutter in her stomach kind of scares her though, because if she feels like that right now, Sasuke’ll be queasy in no time. </p>
<p>She sends a prayer to Kami and hopes he’s sleeping, but when she chances a glance up, the cocky bastard is already smirking at her. <em> Ughh, he’s so infuriating</em>. A pout curls her lips and her eyes send daggers his way. But that doesn’t affect him one bit. </p>
<p>With a huff, Sasuke leans down and plants a kiss on her seal. He dares to freaking kiss her when she’s like this! And it makes her mad, so so mad, but also it’s so damn sweet that – fuck, she’s close to her cycle, isn’t she? – everything evaporates.</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<h4>
  <strong>Endgame</strong>
</h4>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>It’s inevitable that they’ll – <em> eventually </em> – end up together.</p>
<p>That’s a fact that Sasuke knows for quite some time now. What is making him question this inevitability though is the fact that it’s taking too damn long. </p>
<p>After their crazy talk, the one where they acknowledge (out loud) what they have and what they are to one another, Sasuke thought that she’d ask him out on a date (like when they were kids) or kiss him or— or <em> something</em>.</p>
<p>But there wasn’t really a change other than the mutual understanding they share and how they openly discuss parallels now. They even joke about this weird connection from time to time, like that time they watched Nemo together because of that crazy graph she drew about the clownfish and the sea anemone. </p>
<p>Sasuke’s also aware that people in the village think they are <em> already </em>together. Kakashi and Naruto are always up on their business, giving him knowing smirks when he spends the night at Sakura’s – which are completely uncalled for because that only happens when they fall asleep on the couch – and saving seats for them beside each other.</p>
<p>Sakura’s parents aren’t any better. Her mom stops him on the market, asks about her daughter and makes him promise to bring her for dinner (because she hasn’t seen that stubborn girl in weeks). </p>
<p>When he follows through with it, Mebuki stuffs him with numerous tomatoes dishes and Kizashi makes ridiculous jokes – that are mildly entertaining, he can admit that – and when he’s closing the door and saying his good-nights, the once joyous man looks at Sasuke with a intimidating scowl (which kinda reminds him of Sakura) and huffs under his breath a command: <em> “Take care of her.”  </em></p>
<p>If even Sakura’s parents assume they are an item, why aren’t they, then? This is only one of the questions that keep him up these days, and it’s ridiculous that there’s even more of them. </p>
<p>He knows she wants more, that she wants to kiss him and– and more. She wants to hold his hand and hug him whenever she feels like it. Sakura wants to never say goodbye ever again (even when those last just until the next day). Some days, the longing, those desires are clear in her eyes, unmasked for anyone to see, and why she doesn’t act on it is beyond him. </p>
<p>Sasuke feels his face burning –<em>with rage, of course, what else could it be</em>– because it would’ve been so much easier if he had accepted one of those date invites back then. </p>
<p>
  <em> One of these days…  </em>
</p>
<p>One of these days, he’s going to kiss the hell out of her.</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<h4>
  <strong>Thirsty</strong>
</h4>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>It happens on an ordinary day, just after training, and it feels as though they came full circle.</p>
<p>Sasuke’s panting, slouched against a tree trunk chunk that Sakura tossed his way on their last spar’s round. His better half is a few yards away, clutching her water bottle and drinking greedily. </p>
<p>There’s nothing special about this day; there’s no beautiful sunset in the background, and the weather is not pleasant – it’s a little chilly and the humidity frizz their hair – but her eyes sparkle after her victory and he kind of wishes he was that water bottle right now.</p>
<p>Simple as that.</p>
<p>Making up his mind, he stands up and strides to her. Sasuke doesn’t act right away though, because he’ll tease her every chance he gets. Stopping a feet away from her, he reaches for a strand of her matted hair – half of it is sticking to her neck the other is unruly, curling under the light drizzle. </p>
<p>“Sasuke?” She asks, her voice quiet and uncertain, almost a squeak. “Why are you looking at me like that?”</p>
<p>Her cheeks dust pink and inwardly, Sasuke smirks. That’s exactly what he wanted and he wonders what else he can get if he keeps this up. He twirls the lock around two fingers and then tucks it behind her ear, giving her his most sincere look of confusion. “Like what, Sakura?”</p>
<p>She swallows, her tongue darting out to swipe across her bottom lip, and– and he’s done. </p>
<p>Sasuke steps closer, towering over her. His heart beats faster and faster as he takes in Sakura’s face, still holding the confusion from earlier, until understanding flickers in her green eyes. It wasn’t his intention to delay his actions or let her know what he’s about to do ahead of time, but surprising her is an impossible task these days. </p>
<p>Not waiting a second longer, Sasuke descends the few inches that separate his mouth from hers. To tell the truth, he feels a little awkward. The kiss – if he can call it that – is a chaste one, just lips pressed against lips. It’s almost like a caress, warm and soft and something he can get used to very, very quickly.</p>
<p>But then… then Sakura lets out a sigh, parting her lips for him, and it becomes something else. He threads his fingers into her hair, tilting her head just so, as his mouth moves against hers. It’s slow at first, almost shy, but it doesn’t take long for him to change the pace as he gets a hang of it. </p>
<p>Their lips glide with a swift gradation of intensity, one that makes Sakura’s finger grip his shirt and cling to him as though he’s the only thing keeping her from melting to the ground. Heat floods his stomach and he feels dizzy. This connection of theirs seems to heighten his senses, making him lose track of time, space, and who’s feeling what. </p>
<p>There’s only her and him there, nothing else.</p>
<p>His hand stakes down her waist, circling around her back and pulling her closer. The familiarity of her curves snuggling against his body makes things less overwhelming, but not less intense. Without breaking the kiss, Sasuke guides them backwards, a step at a time, until the back of his arm hits the side of a rock and an <em> oof </em>escapes her.</p>
<p>He kisses her until the taste of her lips on his is the only thing he knows. Until her scent is the only thing he breathes. Until their hearts beat in sync. Until he’s drowning in nothing but Sakura.</p>
<p>He kisses her slow and deep, right there in the open field of training grounds number three, against a cracked boulder, light drizzle spattering down on them.</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<h4>
  <strong>Just So You Know </strong>
</h4>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>Sasuke’s feeling antsy, impatient, irritable. And so is she. </p>
<p>Sakura looks over at him, observing how the moonlight casts beautiful shadows along his cheekbones and jaw. The past few months have been a whirlwind of them figuring out this strange relationship, this connection they seem to have and okay sometimes she’s deliberately given herself a paper cut when she gets mad at him or sometimes he’ll train too hard one day and they are both left beaten, exhausted (and just a little pleased with themselves). </p>
<p>But most days— most days have been filled with a quiet, mutual understanding and it’s comforting on the best, frustrating on the worst, as they learn to work together. And while he still hasn’t opened up to her about <em> everything </em> (which she is understanding of), she’s putting context clues together and if today is any indication…</p>
<p>Sasuke sighs, casting his mismatched gaze to her. </p>
<p>He felt her heart ache. </p>
<p>She looks down at her hands folded over the bridge, listening as the wind ripples the water beneath them, a gentle <em> swoosh </em> of waves and she concentrates on matching her breaths to the slow, steady pace.</p>
<p>In a voice barely above a whisper, a voice that threatens to break, “It would kill me if you left again…I don’t know how— how I’ll survive.” </p>
<p>Sakura dares to look back up at him and there’s a softness to his eyes she knows is reserved only for her. He observes her for a moment before he brings two fingers up to her forehead and <em> pokes. </em></p>
<p>She’s left breathless, trembling as his calloused fingers trail down her temple, along her cheek, grazing her jaw and they settle under her chin, tilting her head up.</p>
<p>“I won’t survive without you either, Sakura.” </p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<h4>
  <strong>Getaway</strong>
</h4>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>“I think we should take a vacation,” Sakura chirps, pushing herself up on her elbows and looking down at him. </p>
<p>They are laying down on the grass behind his childhood house. There’s a nice canopy of cherry blossom trees that cast a perfect, long shadow on them. It’s not even the first week of summer and Konoha was hit with a heatwave. </p>
<p>There’s a thin layer of perspiration on Sakura’s skin, and she’s wearing far too few clothes for his comfort (not that he’s complaining and he’s sure she’s enjoying his naked torso very much if the warm swirls he feels in his lower abdomen is any indication). Her hair is piled on top of her head, and she’s just so beautiful that he forgets how to breathe for a second.</p>
<p>“What do you think, Sasuke-kun?” </p>
<p><em> What he thinks? </em> </p>
<p>He thinks that he’ll follow this woman everywhere she goes. He thinks that there’s a world outside these gates that she craves to know. He thinks that she’d love to see all the places he’s been (especially those that made him think of a little girl with pink hair and a heart too big for her size). He thinks... that together they can take the world. </p>
<p>
  <em> It would be so, so easy. </em>
</p>
<p>If he was being honest, Sasuke thought that he’d feel cooped up in Konoha once he returned after the war. That he’d want to leave as soon as he could. That he’d miss the serenity of the woods and the simplicity of planning his own days without worrying about duties. He’d thought he would never feel at home again.</p>
<p>When the urge to flee never hit him, Sasuke quickly realized that he wasn’t the only one responsible for driving those thoughts away. He noticed it before their connection was labeled, on a lazy day that resembles this one, that Sakura not only made him want to stay, but she’s in every sense of the word, his home.</p>
<p>Holding her gaze, Sasuke watches her emotions flowing freely in her expressive eyes – though he doesn’t really have to look at her to understand how she feels. Like a bird watching life from an open window, Sakura wants to jump, to spread her wings as far as they go, and fly through sundown and sunrise. And Sasuke? He’s the only one she’d take that dive with. </p>
<p>His lips tug upwards into a full smirk, because it’s so, so easy with her. She smiles back, that one smile that reaches her eyes and nearly blinds him.  </p>
<p>“I think…” Sasuke murmurs, fingers reaching up to touch her forehead. “...that I want to show you the world.”</p>
<p>With her, he goes anywhere.</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<h4>
  <strong>Kyōsei</strong>
</h4>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>As they start to travel, their bond, their connection, continues to flourish. It begins to become more than just mutualistic symbiosis. It grows, nurtures, develops into—</p>
<p><em> (</em><b><em>kyosei</em> </b> <em> [noun] - a japanese word formed from two characters </em> <b> <em>kyo</em> </b> <em> “together” and </em> <b> <em>sei</em> </b> <em> “to live”. In simple translations, it can be defined as symbiosis, however, experience says it means so much more. it means to cooperate, to work, to live </em> <b> <em>together</em> </b> <em> , in harmony, in peace) </em></p>
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  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>this concludes our little three-shot!! we hope ya'll enjoyed it as much as we enjoyed (obsessively and diligently) working on it! </p>
<p>thank ya'll so much for reading!!! your support is so appreciated! drop a comment, let us know what ya'll enjoyed the most/drop an emoji- your words and thoughts bring us joy.</p>
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